Step and repeat machine.



H. M. PILKINGTON. STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE.

} APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1911.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

6 SHEETSSHEET 1.

F INVENTOR AWJW A Wm 1 1;

BY EQ WVW *1 42 ATTORNEYS H. M. PILKINGTON. STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE.

6 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR BY vw m ww fix A TORNEY-S.

H. M. PILKINGTON.

STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED UNE 14, 1911 F 1, 1 3 1 ,63 1 Patented Mar. 9, 1910.

647 WiTNESSES: l 76 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

(KW/w od Q H. M. PILKINGTON. STEP ANDREPEAT MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1911 Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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" g INVEMUR my /'C(/. 1 va/M 7% ff'ffugyn H. M. PILKINGTON.

STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1911v 1,131,631 Patented Mar.9,1915.

6 SHBETS--SHEET 5.

I 5 I m 1 INVENTOR Hmhm 7%: g 4 KSO. M BY ATTORNEYS.

H. M. PILKINGTON. STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE14,1911 1,131,631. Patented M21129, 1915.

6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

. ATTO' NEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT M. PILKINGTON, OF ARVERNE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO LITHOTEX CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed June 14, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT M. PILKING- 'roN, a'citizen of the United States, and a resident of Arverne, Long Island, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Step and Repeat Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to step and repeat machines to be used for photographically forming a pattern or design on a sensitized surface from a unit design by successively projecting the image of the unit design through a suitable lens upon successive portions of the sensitized surface so as to protype which may be rapidly and accurately operated to build up designs. In this machine the lens and the unit design are si multaneously moved along the line of pro-.

jection with respect to the sensitized plate so as to vary the size of the image while maintaining the sensitized plate and the unit design always in the conjugate foci of the lens, and the sensitized plate is repeatedly stepped horizontally and vertically transversely to the unit design and the lens without disturbing the previous adjustment of the three elements along the line of projection, the sensitized plate being mounted on a sufficiently stanch and heavy carriage to avoid danger of strain, distortion or lost motion which would affect the delicate adjustment, the carriage being counterbalanced on the main frame so as to be readily moved vertically thereon, and equipped with suitable stops along its lines of movement to limit the distance of its successive movements across-the line of projection so that rapid and accurate positioning of the sensitized plate before the lens is obtained.

The successive positioning of an image of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 633,196.

the unit design upon the sensitized plate in building up a design is an exceedingly delicate operation, as in some cases the delicate llnes of the intricate configuration of an image must exactly meet and join corresponding lines of similar adjacent images; and even in building up simpler designs, where a plurality of designs for different prlnting surfaces are to be built up respectively from different parts of a complete unit design as in printin a design requiring more than one color, t e registration of the corresponding images on the different plates must be secured in order that the different plates carrying the parts of the complete design in different colors will always register to produce delicateand perfect color effects.

By my new machine successive images of the unit design can be made to register with adjacent ones more readily and accurately and designs more rapidly built up from a 11 11151? design than has heretofore been poss1 e.

The sensitized surface upon which the design is formed may be that of a zinc plate or stone which, by subsequent development and etching, may be transformed directly into a printing surface, or the surface may be that of a transparent plate which may be developed, and from which a design may be photographed in a reduced or enlarged size upon a suitable surface which may be etched and then inked and transferred onto a roller which, after being etched, may be used in all kinds of continuous web printing upon textile fabrics, wall paper, etc.

Other features of my invention will be more readily understood by the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, 1n wh1ch- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2v

is a front elevation showing the horizontally and vertically adjustable plate carriage and means for operating and adjusting the same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line mm of Fig. 2, showing the means for simultaneously moving the lens and unit design along the line of projection; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is another sectional view taken on line zz of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the crank han-v -dles for movingthe plate carriage; Fig.- 7

row 8 in Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of the principle involved inv the movement of the lens and object holder along the line of projection so as to maintain the proper focus; and Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate diagrammatically the manner in which the image is reduced or enlarged by the relative adjustment of the sensitized plate holder, lens and object.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, l is a main stationary frame or support mounted on a base 2, the frame consisting of two uprights or sidepieces 3 connected at their upper ends by a yoke 4 and also connected intermediate the base and the upper cross piece by means of aphannel beam 5 having closed ends bolted to the side frames 3. This channel beam serves to support a bracket 6 on which is mounted the lens sliding frame hereinafter mentioned.

On the front faces of the uprights 3 are bolted smooth vertical guideways 33 on which moves a vertically sliding carriage consisting of upper and lower horizontal,

bars 8 and 9 which extend across the face of the machine, and project on either side thereof and are connected by end pieces 10. The upperbar 8 has a tongue or guideway 8 formed on its front face along whic moves a horizontal sliding carriage consisting of upper and lower cross bars 11 and 12 connected by vertical end pieces 1313, the sliding engagement being effected by a channel in the upper bar 11 which engages with the tongue or guideway on the bar 8. This horizontally sliding frame is adapted to receive the sensitized plate on. which the design or pattern is to beformed. By extending the bars 8 and 9 beyond the uprights 3-3, a much larger plate can be used and moved to extreme position, for a given width of the main frame, thus reducing the weight and cost of the machine. Horizom tal movement of this carriage is effected by means of a handle 25 mounted on a threaded shaft 15 which extends in a groove or passage. 11 between the adjacent surfaces of the bars 8 and 11. The shaft 15 passes through a threaded nut" 121, securedto the rear of the bar 11, and the shaft is jour-' naled at its inner end in a bracket 16 formed in the groove in the front face of bar 8 the shaft at its outer end being journaled in a sleeve or bracket 24- secured to the end of bar 8. The sleeve is provided with a dial plate 114 having suitable markers and a scale hereinafter described, and the shaftis provided with an operating crank handle 25 having a part that moves over the face of the 'dial,-as hereinafter described, to indicate engaged by a spring-pressed manner when the desired angular movements of the shaft have been made. By this means, as the handle 25 is rotated, the horizontally moving carriage is caused to move back and forth along bar 8, depending upon the direction of rotation, of handle 25.

Vertical movement of the plate is efiected by means of two verticalthreaded shafts or screws 17 journaled in brackets 18 secured to the'uprights 3, the shafts being provided with threaded nuts 19 (Fig. 5) secured to the rear of the horizontal cross bar 8 of the vertically sliding frame. The lower ends of the vertical shafts 17 are provided with bevel gears 20 meshing with bevel gears 21 on a horizontal shaft 22 .journaled in brackets 23, 24' on the main uprights 3, and rotated by means of a crank" handle 25, which handle moves over a dial 114' secured to bracket 24' and having suitable indicating mechanism hereinafter described.

' In order to overcome the weight of the vertically moving carriage so that it can be readily moved with little effort, thereby decreasing vibration and permitting of more accurate adjustment, the upper cross bar of the vertically sliding frame is connected at each end to a chain 26 passing over'rollers 27 journaled at the upper end of the main frame, to the other ends of which chains suitable counterweights 28 are attached, of such weight as to balance the weight of the entire vertically sliding structure. By means of this arrangement the sliding frame can he stepped vertlcally with much less exertion and strain on the operating mechanism and by much finer gearing and with less jar, thus permitting more ready andaccurate positioning of the images projected on the plate.

Each ofthe dials 114:114 has a gradu I for measuring the desired fractions of a,

revolution of the different shafts necessary to complete the horizontal and vertical movements of the sensitized plate carriage. The graduation on the dial 114', for example, consists of evenly spaced holes or perforations 115 which are adapted to be in 116 for locmng the shaft against rotation, the unlocking of the shaft being effected by pressing upon a blob 119 centered in the handle 25 and operating the pin 116 through a lever 117, the pin being automatically pressed into an adjacent holeby means of spring 118. whenever the operator removes his hand from-the knob. By this arrangement, the desired angular movement or fraction of a revolution of the shaft desired maybe accurately measured and the shaftmay be accurately brought to a stop at the completion of the determined angular movement.

in order to relieve'the operator of having to rely entirely upen his head in stunting are ,on the shaft by means of a handle 33. This stop is dprovided with a projection 34 to be engage by a similar projection 35 formed on a stop 36 which is slidingly secured on a graduated strip or bar 37' secured to the upper edge of the upper cross piece 11 of the horizontallymovm frame,'this stop 36 being also provided with a handle 38 for tightening or loosening it on bar 37 In the particular arrangement shown, the stop 36 is held in engagement with the bar 37 by a projecting head 40 which moves in a slot 41 formed in the graduated bar 37 (Fig.

5). By this arrangement, when it is desired to step the plate holder horizontally along the frame, the stop 36 is set on the bar 37 at a distance from stop 32 equal exactly to the width of the first ima e which has been projected on the plate an the markers 120 are set apart on the dial at the determined angle corresponding to the fraction of a revolution of the she t'15 necessary to complete the horizontal step of the late when (in computing the movement 0 the plate carriage) a fraction of a revolution is found to be necessary. The handle 25 is then rotated until the stop 36 comes into engagement with the projecting part of the stop 32, when, if it is found, at the end of the movement of the carriage, that the handle has not been moved through the determined fraction of a revolution, as indicated by the registration of the pin 116 with the forward marker, which fraction is necessary to give the exact movement of the carriage, the adjustable stop may be released and the shaft rotated through the remaining fraction; or, if the stop has been set too far in advance, the shaft may be brought back to a position where the pin 116 re 'sters with the hole in 'alinement with t e forward marker. Itwill thus be seen that the lineally adjustable stops serve as a check on'the operator to prevent him from making a mistake of a complete revolution in his computations or in stepping the plate carriage, while the dial, markers and pin provide an accurate means for measuring and indicating the final fraction of a revolution of the shaft. It requires considerable skill on the tant to have the dial and markers in combination with the linear stops to serve as a check in the setting of the stops; while, on the other hand, the linear stops serve as a check on the operator in computing and in counting the complete revolutions of the shaft. By thus checking the operator in his counting and calculations, he is relieved of considerable responsibility and can thus oplutions in any single step during the move-' ments of the carriage, he may rotate the handle backward until the stops again engage each other, whereupon he will know that the carriage has been brought to its initial position, and then by simply counting the number of revolutions for each step -multiplied by the number of exposures which he has made, he will know that the carriage is in position for the next exposure. After thisexposure is made, stop 36 is again moved along the graduated bar 37 away from the stop 32 the exact previously measured distance, and the handle 25 is again rotated until the stops engage with each other, and a third projection is made, and so on. A similar arrangement is provided for measuring the successive movements of the plate holder vertically; a vertical slideway or rod 44 being journaled in brackets 45 (Figs. 1 and 2) on which rod a sliding stop 46 is mounted, this stop ongaging with a similar stop 47 slidingly mounted in a slotted vertical strip or bar 48 bolted to the end piece 10 of the vertically moving carriage, the slotted strip being graduated on its front edge 50. The operation and adjustment of this mechanism is similar to that ust described in connection with the step measuring apparatus forthe horizontally moving carriage.

The mechanism .forsupportin the lens and unit design consists of a s ideway or track 51 formed on the upper face of the bracket 6, at the rear of the main frame on which is mounted a sliding frame or carriage 52 carrying'a lens 53 mounted in a lens holder 54, and this carriage 52 is rovided on its upper surface with a trac or guideway 56 on which is slidingly mounted a second frameor slide 57 carrying an object holder 58 in which is'placedthe unit design to be projected. The rear end of this v as slide 57 is also provided with vertical brackets 58 supporting a suitable frame 58 containing condensing lenses 111-112; and on the extreme rear end of this slide there is bolted an extension 59 on which is slidingly mounted a stand or support 60 carrying a suitable lamp-61.

The first sliding frame or carriage 52 has two depending side pieces 62 connected at their lower extremities by a cross piece 63 (Figs. 1 and 7) to which is ad ustably bolted a shoe 64 moving back and forth on a guideway or track 65 formed on the upper surface of the rear extension of the main base 2.

In order to move the slides 52, 57 along the line of projection so as to vary the relative positions of the object holder and lens with respectito the plate, for adjusting the size of theimage projected on the plate, I have adopted the: following mechanism; A shaft 66 having a hand wheel 67 is supported at its front end in a bracket 69 secured to the channel bar 5, and is journaled in a yoke 7 0 mounted on a bracket 71 (Fig. 3) which in turn is secured to a cross piece 72 connecting the depending side pieces '62. The shaft 66 is provided with a spiral gear 73 having a feather engaging a lon itudinal groove 74 formed in the shaft. is gear 3 in turn meshes with spiral gears 75 mounted on vertical shafts 83. The lower ends of the vertical shaftsv are steadied in a bracket 76, and their upper ends are jour naled in bearings 77 extending from a bracket 78 secured to a horizontal web or cross piece 79 connecting the side members 62. Each shaft carries-at its upper end a spiral gear 80 which meshes with a spiral gear 81 keyed on a horizontal screw spindle 82 which is journaled at its rear end in the bracket 78, and held from longitudinah movement thereon by lock nuts so as to insure meshing of the car 81 with the ears 80. The screw'threa of the spindle 8 en gages with a nut 84 rigidly secured to the main bracket 6, so that through the medium of the above-describedmechanism, the sliding frame 52 is moved back and forth'when 52 and at. the same rate as the frame is.

moved. The yoke 87 carries at its u per extremities slide blocks 88 (Fig. 7) w ich are adapted to slide up and down in guideways 89 formed'in the side ieces 62; "and on the outside of each slide, lock there is 57. The slide blocks on which are mounted the fulcrum guides or sleeves 92 are ad-v justed-in slots 96 by means of'nuts 97 on screws 98.. The slide blocks 95 do not slide in the slots during the operation of the machine, but said adjustment is for the purpose of primarily establishing the relation between the lens carrying slide 52 and the slide 57 carrying unit design, thereby securing the necessary sharpness of the image projected on the sensitized plate. When this adjustment is once made for any particular lens, the slide blocks 95 then remain fixed in position and the rods 91 slide through the guideways or sleeves 92 which are pivoted on the guide blocks 95 at a fixed point in the slots 96, the fixed position being obtained by adjusting the nuts 97 on the screws 98. This pivot or fulcrum point for a given lens will be at the intersection of two lines, one parallel to the line of movement of the connection of the sliding lever to the slide 57 which it moves, and at the focal distance of the lens from said line, the other line being parallel to the line of movement of the, point of connection of said lever to the threaded shaft, or, in this case, parallel to the slot 89 along which the other end of the lever slides, and at the focal distance of the lens from said line or slot. This slot 96' along which the fulcrum point is adjusted should extend along a -line passing through the point of intersection of these two lines, for different lenses. Such a line will bisect the angle formed between the slot 89 and tlfis path of movement of the end of the lever connected to the sliding frame 57, and in the particular machine described, the slot 96 along which the fulcrum point is adjusted W11 be at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical slot 89.

When the shaft 66 is rotated to give a downward movement to the yoke 87 the ends of the yoke draw down withthem the sliding rods 91 which, as they move down,

change their angle of inclination, and the upper ends being thrown forward, move the slide 57 forward toward the sensitized plate.

The mechanism is so proportioned that the slides 52 and 57 are simultaneously moved by" the rotation of the handle 68, and their respective rates of movement are such as to decrease or increase the distance of the object holder from the lens so as to vary the size of the image on the sensitized plate while maintaining the relative positions of the lens and ob ect holder with respect to the sensitized plate such as to always maintain the sensitized plate and the object holder in the conjugate foci of the lens. This is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 10 and 11. In Fig. 10, the lens is shown equidistant between the object or unit design and the image, so that the size of the image is equal to that of the unit design. In Fig. 11, the changed positions of the unit design and the lens produce an image three times the linear dimensions of the unit design.

Fig. 9 illustrates the principle involved in in the focusing movement; and in this figure, the sides F of the square are equal to the focus of the lens used. Extending two sides 0L and OS until they intersect any line R swung through the intersecpion I of the two opposite sides of the square F,

the lengths LO=f',

and

9 will be to each other as is to and are thus equal to the conjugate foci of the lens F for an ob'ect distance f, and the The diagram of Fig. 9 demonstrates the distances f and f in directions at right angles to each other whereas in actual practice, they are mostly needed in a continued straight line.

Figs. 10 and'll show how by gearing a rod representing the length f, to a vertical rod f, to which the same movement is imparted in a vertical plane, the length f' is obtained in the horizontal continuation ith such a machine as described, when it is desired to enlarge the image on the Bensitized plate the shaft 66 is rotated in a holder, so that the distance between thesensitized plate and the lens is increased and the distance between the lens and the object holder decreased, thereby enlarging the image on the sensitized plate while maintaining the focus by the arrangement of the gearing described. Conversely, if it is desired to reduce the image upon the sensitized plate, the shaft 66 is rotated in the opposite directionto move the carriages 52 toward the sensitized plate, the object slide .157 at the same time moving away from the ens.

The hand wheel 67 mounted on shaft 66 has a graduated rim or other portion, adjacent to which is mounted on a suitable part of the frame of the machine, a pointer or index finger 105 beneath which finger the rim is rotated. ldy this means, when an image of an object is once adjusted on the focusing screen to the desired size for certain work, the reading of the rim 67 is noted, and should the wheel be moved out of position for any reason, or should it be desired at some subsequent time to reproduce the same pattern or design, if the object. holder and other apparatus is accurately formed, it will only be necessary to set the graduated I wheel at the previous reading and then proceed with the photographing without experimentin to determine the position of the sliding rames for the desired size of image.

In the particular embodiment of the machine shown, the sliding rods91 are so related to the vertical slot 89 and the lens and sliding frames 52 and 57 are so positioned with respect to the sensitized plate that the transformation, of the unit design is approximately unity when the sliding rods 91 are in the position shown, namely, with -their lower ends near the upper extremity of the slot 89.

The operation of the machine will be best understood from the following description: A photographic reproduction of the unit desi is placed in an annular rotating ring 107 ocated in the frame 58, and the unit design is adjusted in any suitable position by means of the handle 109 which rotates the ring 107 through pinion 108. When the unit desi is in the proper position in its plane, a ocusing screen is placed in the sensitized plate holder on the horizontally moving carriage and the sliding carriages on the front of the frame are then operated in the manner described to shift the focusing, screen so as to bring the image in a suitable position thereon, say in the extreme lower left-hand corner. The shaft 66 is then rotated to adjust the image of the-unitdesign upon the focusing screen to the desired size, maintaining at'all times a sharp focus of the image on the screen, and the reading of the graduated rim 67 is then noted. When the image'is adjusted to the proper size, the image with suitable registration marks is then projected upon it. on the rod 29 and stop 36 is moved along the graduated strip 37 away from the stop 32, a distance equal to the width of the projected image, and the stop 36 is then securely clamped on the graduated scale and the screw 15 rotated to move the carriage horizontally until the stops engage with each other, at which position it will be found that the adjacent lines of the second image when ?projected on the sensitized plate, will exactly register with correspond.

in lines of the previously projected image. Wlien this image is projected, the stop '36 is again moved along on the slide 37 and gripped in position,-and the horizontal carriage again moved and a third image projected, and so on. When a complete horizontal row of the images is thus formed, the sensitized plate is then moved vertically the height of the projected image, by the rotation of handle 25, the vertical movement being determined by the stops 46 and 47 in the manner described, withrelation to the stops 32 and 36 of the horizontally moving carriage, and then a second horizontal row of images is projected as previously described. Or, if desired, a vertical row of.

images ma be completed and then the carriage may e stepped horizontally the Width of'an image, and so on. In some cases where the design is'of a nature which requires such operatic the images may be formed in diagonal moving the plate one step horizontally and then a step vertically tor the projection of each image.

Where it is desired to print a design having two ormore colors, a reproduction of the unit or parts of the unit is made for each color, and a design is formed on a separate plate from each of such units, the completed design on the plates being identical in size and position, and consisting respectively, only of that art of the unit design which is to be printe in the particular color desired, so that when the plates are used with their respective colors, the parts of thedesign on the difierent plates will exactlyregister in printing. For instance, if a" design is tohe printed in two colors, say pink and green, a sensitized plate will be prepared showing consecutive units of the parts of the design 7;

to be printed in pink, and another plate will be prepared withthe of the partsof the design to be printed in groom. From Stop 32 is then set I es across the sensitized plate by the combinationof a suppo sliding carriage having means or holding these plates, a printing surface for each color would be prepared, and as the respective designs are made from the identical size units projected in identically the same manner to occu y identical positions on the plates, the nished printing surfaces will necessarily register perfectly with each other;

It will be seen that I have provided a machine sufiiciently staunch and durable to prevent any distortion or strain on the parts, thus insuring accurate registration at all times, and at the same time, I have so arranged and constructed the parts that the vertical and horizontal adjustment of the sensitized plate may be rapidly accomplished.

While I have described my invention with particularity in' connection with the particular machine shown, and in connection with its operation in building up completed designs from unitdesigns, since this is one of the most exacting requirements of such a machine, yet it will be observed that the machine may be put to other uses, such as suitably spacing upon the same wet or dry plate one or more reproductions of one, or two or more diiferent designs or pictures; and I do not Wish to be understood as limiting my invention other than as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is I 1 In a machine of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame, a sliding carriage having means for holding a sensitized plate and mounted on said frame in a plane transverse to the optical axis, means for moving the carriage horizontally in said plane, means for, moving the carriage vertically in said plane, relatively adjustable stops for limiting the distance of successivermovements of the carriage along its horizontal line of movement or for determining the starting or initial position of the carriage after it has been shifted, and relatively adjustable stops for limiting the distance of successive-movements of the carriage along its vertical line of movement or for determining the starting or initial osition of the carriage after it has been: ifted, one sto movement of the carriage and the other stop of each set being mounted respectively to move with the carriage along its respective lines of movement.

2. In a machine of the diameter described, flame, a

a sensitizedlate and mounted on said frame in a pane transverse to the optical axispmeans or moving the carriage on its of each set bein -respectively mounted a ng the lines o support in said plane, and two relatively mcvin eerriafle mounized on she v (3 J *czsceblie ssops one mounted. on e 1 she other mounted isfne e 1e sltlon to engage the first s'cop s'zence of successive movements Rage or to determine the seal-sin esition 0:5 the carriage after .2; lifted, one of she parts en WhlC sire mounted being provided med; scale along which the J meveisie and by which s fiiceted. W h a machine of the chereczer described; combination of a, mail suppor sin same, 1:, vertically movable sporting carriage eensisting of two cross "genes eonneesed by vertical members, one of said eress 1 being provided with a guidewey vertical guideweys on the main frame on W-Qich said carriage is adapted to move, a herizen tally 'eway 035 the first carriage and having messes for fielding a sensitized piece a slidewey e11 one en vs-rabies siidewey on the main sl'eme eiewey me one 015 the vertical members use first earrieg'e adjacent the East step, Md stop siidably mounted ihereon to enseiol less; stop, and means including verifies and horizontal screws for moving said carriage their "planes.

cestimeny whereof, I have signed my to fills speclficatlon, m the presence o1 5W0 subscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT M. PELKIN TGN.

TViiazmesses:

E'AMUEL i Yemqm.

second carriage adj-seem: said e s'bep ee'jus'tably mounted shez'eom 

